1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an impaired operation detection method. More specifically, the present invention relates to an impaired operation detection method that determines impairment of a vehicle operator based on yaw rate of the vehicle.
2. Background Information
Impaired vehicle operation due to operator intoxication, fatigue, or distraction is a serious and often life-threatening problem. As a result, efforts are being made to identify impaired operators so that, for example, their further operation of a vehicle can be prevented until their impaired condition has subsided. These efforts include external observation of a vehicle as it is moving, and observation of operator characteristics, such as facial expression, gestures, posture, and so on. These efforts also include in-vehicle sensing methods which include dosage type measures such as blood alcohol content (BAC) detection, and other operating performance measures which quantify operating performance or operating behavior such as lane position and lane crossing, headway and following, and steering, to name a few.
However, these techniques tend to produce false positives or negatives in which normal operator characteristics are incorrectly identified as indicative of operator impairment or vice-versa. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for more accurate methods for identifying operator impairment.